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Whatever happened to?... Phil Simmons
Whatever happened to?... Phil Simmons
Next up in our series on golfing legends from the past is Phil Simmons, who played on the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour in the 70’s and 80’s.
Phil was known primarily for being the longest left hander on tour but was also infamous for his on-course temper. We chatted to Phil about some of the ups and downs of his career and what he is currently doing.
Phil Simmons was born in Australia and came to SA in 1960, he started playing at the age of 8 in the veld in Nigel (on the East Rand). In those days, he built 3 holes in the veld and used to practice on a man-made so-called airstrip.
At the age of 11 he joined Nigel Golf Club then known as Goldfields East; he then also joined the Junior Foundation which he would play in the school holidays.
Phil would have to ride 5 miles pulling a caddie cart behind his bicycle, most afternoons. The club would not allow him to play in any competitions as a junior, even though he was playing off a 4 handicap at the age of 13.
Phil was not into the academic scene and left school at the age of 16 and started his apprenticeship at Pretoria Country Club under Graham Roebert where he did his time learning the retail side of the golf business.
Graham allowed him to play at least 3 times a week and reckoned that if Phil could sort out his temperament, he could have a future on the tour.
He entered his first event, the PGA championship in 1971 at Huddle Park where his temper got in the way and he missed the cut by miles. He managed to make the cut at State Mines where John Fourie won the event and Phil pocketed just over R26.
His next event was at Wingate Park, where he picked up his first fine of R50 for throwing clubs (he was only earning R75 a month as an apprentice).
Phil was then employed as head professional at Germiston Golf Club in September 1971 with the proviso that he cut his hair, he had grown his hair for over two years and was should we say rather untidy at the time.
Phil continued battling with his “attitude” on the course and reckons that it must have cost him “zillions”, the other pros just waited for him to explode and they knew he could not get his game back for a few holes after that.
Phil won his first Sunshine Tour event at Victoria falls in 1979 where Simon Hobday had an 8 shot lead with 11 holes to go. “I somehow made 8 birdies on the last 11 holes to beat him by 1 shot, that year I finished 8th in the order of Merit said Phil.
“I won all the long driving competitions in SA, so I was labelled the Germiston Giant which stuck with me on tour. In 1981 I was sponsored to compete in the World Championship in America at the Atlanta Athletic Club where the U.S. PGA was starting the next day. You have no idea how many people filled the stands around the 18th Green, I went into the locker room and the tour players were chatting, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, plenty other names l can go on forever.
“All the finalists gather round the 18th green and they spin a barrel to get the choice of ball which will be used , Wilson Pro Staff ball came out the barrel which we had to use, the next thing they spin another barrel with the 20 finalist names in. Guess what? I was first out. I was given 5 balls to use, however there was one huge problem, the 18th hole was a dog leg left which meant I had to fade the ball around the corner which gave the right-handed player a huge advantage.
“I struggled to control the nerves and eventually hit 5 out of 5 on the fairway the best being 299 yards which put me in 8th spot losing by 19yards. I was really peed off, earning a cheque for $200. If I had won, I would have received a European Tour card and $5000 to give an exhibition every week.
“Denis Hutchinson tried to get me to settle down and not blow a fuse every time the shot was not perfect. I believed you had to hit a perfect every time which is impossible, even a machine can break down”.
Phil started having back problems in 1987 and ended up having six lower back ops and eventually a spinal fusion.
In 1991 he was bitten by ticks while walking in the bush, the tick was carrying a virus which put him into a coma for 5 days. When he came out the coma he could not walk or talk and was advised never to try to play again. “Well, I told the neurologist to take a hike in the worst way” quipped Phil.
He did try the following year but no matter how hard he worked at golf, he never regained the standard that he used to play.
In 2001 he was appointed as golf Director at Mount Edgecombe, where he spent 15 years before moving on to Randpark in a coaching capacity.
Phil is now the GM and Director of Golf at Gowrie Farm (which is in the process of extending to an 18-holer). He is doing a fantastic job and the course is becoming very popular; the temper might have mellowed but the desire for perfection is still clearly there. Phil ended off by saying “Gowrie is Heaven and I love every minute I spend here”.
